Box holder for berry pickers



P. I. ANDREWS.

BOX HOLDER FOR BERRY PICKERS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 31, 1921.

1,405,325 Patented Feb. 14, 1922.

W, W e b W NW5 .INVENJFUVI UNITED STATES "PA ENT OFFICE.

PAUL ennnnws, or KENNEBUNK, Mains.

BOX noniinnron iannnyricxnns.

To all-whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, PAUL I. ANonnws, a citizen of the United -States,- residing at Kennebunk county of York, State of Maine, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Box Holders for Berry Pickers, of which the-following is a specification, reference being hadtherein to the accompanying drawings.

- In picking berries, particularly. raspberries and blackberries and other berries which grow on bushes, whenv they are picked (lb-*- rectly into the boxes in whichthey .are usu ally placed on the market only one hand is available for picking, because the other hand is required for holding the box unless the bushes are low enough so that the box can be left on the ground, and even then the berries are likely to be dropped into the box from too great a height, therebybruising the berries. Moreover the box has to be fre- .quently moved by hand to anew picking place. This makes much slower work than if both hands were available for picking. Berries, such as ltlSPbGlllGSflllCl other berries which 1 are pulpy and easily crushed,

box during. the picking.

cannot be picked in; a: large receptacle and then poured into the boxes without great damage to the berries.

provide ashell which canbe readily fastened The object of the present-invention is to to the picker by. a strap or other suitable means, and which is of such shape that it will serve as a holder for the ordinary berry box while picking the berries and into Which the box may be-easily inserted and removed; also to have the shell serve as a hopper to guide the berries into the box and prevent the berries lroni being spilled out of: the

The invention will be fully understood 7 7 from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying draw- Iings, and the novel features thereof will be pointed out and clearly defined in the claims at the close of this specification.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective view, of a device embodying the invention provided withstraps for fastening it to the waist of the picker. I"

Fig; 2 is a vertical sectional view of the device shown in Fig. 1 having an ordinary berry box inserted therein as it willbe in position for use.

Fig.3 is a perspective view of a modified form of holder. 7

-Fig.4;isa

Specificatioirof Letters Patent. Patented Feb 14 1922 Application filed March 31, 1921. Serial No. 457,214.

perspective view of still another modification.

Fig. 5 is a view of a third modification. Referring now to the drawings, 1 represents a shell of rectangular formation inv plan view and having the four walls downwardly inclined toward each other forming a somewhat hopper-shaped construction 01':

rectangular formand having an open bottom. i

' The taper of the sides should be the same angle of taper as the sides of theberry boxes 7 2 into which the berries are to be picked. The berry boxes are supposed to be the ordinary wooden boxes in which the berries are marketed.

Secured to eachend wall of the shell 1 is a strip 8 of resilient material which extends down for some distance below the bottom oithe shell 1, and has at its lower end an under turned portion 4 which projects in under the open bottom of the shell.

The strip members 3 should extend some dis tance below the lower edge of the shell so that when the box 2 is inserted the bottom of the box will extend to some distance below the open bottom of the shell and may rest on the supports formed by the under turned portions l of the strips 3.

Preferably these strips 3 are of somewhat them at their lower ends will be somewhat less than the width of the opening at the bottom of the shell so that when the box 2is inserted and pushed down it will serve asa' wedge to spread the two members 3 3 somewhat further apart from each other. In this manner the said incnibei's'3-3 being oi springyinaterial will exert a spring pressure on the box to retain it more firmly in place. and prevent it from rattling around in the holder. i r

' Preferably the members 3 are formed with an ofiset 5 just below the lower edge of the side wall of the shell so as to bring thelower extending portions into a still more inward position. This causes the members. 3-3 to hold it firmly in position. -A suitable strap should be provided for securing the holder {to the body of the berry picker. Asshown in the drawings a belt strap 6 is provided which is secured to the holder in any suitspringy or resilient material and as the downwardly extending portions converge toward each other, the distance between hug tightly the sides of the berry box and V able way,- and it is passed through slots at i ordinary berry or handle would be 13 inthe side of the shell. The particular manner of fastening the strap to the shell, however, is immaterial.

In the modification shown in Figure 3, the two side strip members 3-3 are 'connected by a bottom box supporting portion 4?, instead ofbeing formedas twosepa'rate strips as in Figures land 2. "If the" strip is made of resilient material, such as thin spring metal or thin fibreboardjtheoflset portions 5 will afford a slight yieldztorpermit the strip tobend outwardly asithe berryibox is-pushed down between the two members 33 and onto the bottomasupport 4 Inthe modificationshown in Figure 4,1the

ably one of the bottom members 9 isrtwisted around the otherbottomImember'Q asby a loop 10 at their intersection so "as to hold them in proper relative;position. It lisnot necessary to have both sets of wirw, one would be sufficient, but it is fpreferredito have the=two. It isobvi'ousithatttheihorizontal bottom support 9 of the Wires forms a bottom support for the berry boxiandithe upright portions 7 -will-clasp the sides of the box and hold it in position.

In the modification shown in F igureio; the shell portion 1 is of thesame formiasalready described, and the bottom support forithe box consists of a single strip havingi'th'elitwo upright side 3 portions 11 11 secured to the sides of the shelll, and having a -connecting transverse bottom portion 12 which islintegral with the two upright lportions ill-+11.

In this form of construction, the bottom ==supporting (portion 12 extends directly across from the lower ofthe shellmember 1 instead iof bein'g suspended at adistance below.

In all of the various forms of construction, there is a skeleton bottom to the holdersso that after the box is filled and "itisdesired to removethe box from the holder, ittean be removed by pushing up onthe bottom fof the box by the fingers through the 0 en spaces in the bottom of the holder. 4 :his

I makes it unnecessary to 1 reach down into'the holder to grasp the sidesgof the -box, and makes unnecessarythe providing of an'ytbeil or handle-on the box itself, as. in fact the boxes are not provide diwith any bail or handle, and moreover Suchia bail in-the way in-dropping the berries into the box and tend ito bruiso the berries.

The box may be'readily removed fromthe i side walls forminga open .top, narrow he and extend down below the bottom she1l1 and zproj ect in under the open bottom holder without unstrapping the holder from the person of thepicker, and a fresh, empty box may be inserted into the holder to be filled.

As 'willbe seen from Figure 2, the shell extends some distance above the-top of the box andhas a widely flaring mouth. This aifordsea*liargerwentrance to the box than the top of the box itself, so that less care is required tosee that the 'berries-go into the'box instead #01 onto lthe ground, *and 'th'e upwardly z extendin sides-of the shell prevent .the berries from lheingspillod if the box 'and shell; are tipped somewhat: at mangle.

WhatJIvclaim is:- '1. :A "box holder for berry-pickers comprisingaian open bottomed: shell-of reetan lar contour having downwardly te'permg hopper df themon'tour 50f theaberry boxes to be used and of interior dimensions -sufl icient to admit -the insertion of: a. berry :box through; the-open top, narrow box. supporting strip r portions 'seenredito opip'osite :sides of =the :shell and which extend belowthe shelltanillprojeetin imder the open bottom to iform a support ifor 'thie bmz, and :m'eans'ifor seeuring thevshell to the body of theiberryzpioker. V v

k2. A "box "holder for beny pickers o0mprising a shell having upvmrdly flaring on all :sidesiopen'at theto "and-the bottom, "and a skeleton portion' w 'ich is secured to the side walls 41nd whieh extends down :below Ithe flower iodge: of the side wells and .under the open bottom, thereby formjng atsupportsfor' thef berry 'bog tlw walls o'f the the box is seated said w'alis -eitnd somef'dis- :tance above the it'op of the box whereby the shell lfOTIRS is temporary hopper ==extensiun 3. A :box iholder zfor berr y -piekers oomprisingan open bottometl shelltenet/again edge of the two end walls sidewallsiwhreh formehopper of the'eontourroithe berry' 'boxes to' be used. therewith contour fhaving dowwardly taperihg 0 mod and of interior dimensions suficientfto admit "the insertion of a hefty box throu'gh the 1supportin portions which sare l secured to the sides d "the "shell of ithe to form :a support Mor thie -box, the walls 'of :theshel l extending isome distance aboie the ltop'iofithe boxewhen the box i's'seatedom said bottom support :and extending 5 below a the top of the box, therby forminga 'hop- 1 :per to direct :the berries into i the 'box, and means for socunn g theshell to the may of the'iberny picker.

A box holder for berry piekersfeomprising an open bottomewshelkof rectangular contour, having downwardly tapering side walls forming a hopper of the contour of the berry box to be used and of interior dimensions suflicient to permit-the insertion of a berry box through the open top, box supporting strip portions secured to opposite sides of the shell and which extend below the shell and project in under the open bottom .to form a support for a box, the shell forming a hopper which extends above the top of the box when the latter is seated on 10 the bottom support, and means for securing the shell to the body of the berry picker.

In testimony whereof I aflix my s1 nature.

PAUL I. ANDR *WS. 

